Worship and Wisdom

Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 8

A David Psalm

God, brilliant Lord,
    yours is a household name.

² Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
    toddlers shout the songs
That drown out enemy talk,
    and silence atheist babble.

^3-4 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
    your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
    Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
    Why take a second look our way?

^5-8 Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
    bright with Eden’s dawn light.
You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
    repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
Made us lords of sheep and cattle,
    even animals out in the wild,
Birds flying and fish swimming,
    whales singing in the ocean deeps.

⁹ God, brilliant Lord,
    your name echoes around the world.

TRUTH:  God is glorious, majestic and brilliant.  He created all and is in all.  He created us to be disciplined stewards of all He brilliantly created.  God also created us to praise Him, giving Him credit for all that He has done for us.  We live for Him by His power and strength in us who believe and trust Him.  The way we treat our beautiful home called Earth is a reflection of the respect we have for God, our Creator and Sustainer of Life.  The way we love each other reflects how much we love God and realize His love for us. 

Why does God bother with us?  He loves us above all He has created.

Speaking of love, don’t take real, precious, unconditional love for granted.  Don’t prostitute God’s love for selfish lust.  God’s love is pure and holy.  God showed us His love by sending His Son, Jesus, to save us from our selfish sins through lack of real love and undisciplined lives.  God freely gives His love to us. 

Marriage is God’s pure unconditional love that forms in two people coming together as one in Him.  Never take this Love for granted for it is the example of how much God loves us.  We love Him because He first loved us. 

Proverb 5:15-23

Never Take Love for Granted

^15-16 Do you know the saying, “Drink from your own rain barrel,
    draw water from your own spring-fed well”?
It’s true. Otherwise, you may one day come home
    and find your barrel empty and your well polluted.

^17-20 Your spring water is for you and you only,
    not to be passed around among strangers.
Bless your fresh-flowing fountain!
    Enjoy the wife you married as a young man!
Lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose—
    don’t ever quit taking delight in her body.
    Never take her love for granted!
Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a whore?
    for dalliance with a promiscuous stranger?

^21-23 Mark well that God doesn’t miss a move you make;
    he’s aware of every step you take.
The shadow of your sin will overtake you;
    you’ll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark.
Death is the reward of an undisciplined life;
    your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.

WISDOM:  God doesn’t miss a move we make. Knowing this truth is the beginning of living a disciplined life with His help, by His power working in us, and for His glory and praise. 

Why does God bother with us?  God’s love for us is so deep that it breaks His heart to see us fall for evil’s schemes and turn from His protection, love, mercy and grace to seek “cheap love” that leads to destruction of all we could be in Him. 

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8, NIV

God is THE only God, our Father, who is approachable because of Jesus’ work on the cross and resurrection from death to redeem us of all sin.  Jesus, God’s Son, is our advocate in heaven asking God for one more day for all to come to know God, repent of sin and live for Him. 

Why does God bother with us? 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  2 Peter 3:9

Abba Father, God of all,

Thank you for your love for us.  Thank you for bothering with us so much that you sent your Son to reconcile us back to you.  Thank you for your Love that is not cheap, but pure and holy, unchangeable and unconditional.  Thank you for mercy and grace undeserved.  Thank you for setting us on the right path.  Thank you for picking us up when we stumble and fall.  Thank you for Life.  Thank you for all you have brilliantly created.  Help us all to be great stewards with a life-sustaining disciplined lifestyle that pleases you and gives you glory consistently.  How truly majestic is your Name!

In Jesus Name, Amen

And I’m singing…

O Lord, our Lord
How majestic is Your name in all the earth

O Lord, our Lord
How majestic is Your name in all the earth
O Lord, we praise Your name

O Lord, we magnify Your name
Prince of peace, mighty God
O Lord, God Almighty…